If all goes well, he’ll be leaving in a few months’ time. Had no idea what possessed me to do this: pick up the mic and record this Elvis Presley’s song, Love Me Tender. I thought it was the perfect song. Never mind the echo-ey feel in it…or how the tune repeats itself over and over again. It means SOMETHING.

Warning: I’m an amateur and hence, I sing like one. Don’t expect anything close to what you see in a certain reality TV show.

Today’s lesson was mind-boggling: when to use past tense and imperfect tenses. Unlike English where there are a bit of “simple” clues as to the use of imperfect tenses, in French, it involves a bit more thinking. Gah.

I think I need Nil to re-explain a few things about these two tenses before I go crazy.

I have been doing some thinking and mulling of lately. I toyed briefly with the idea of passwording this entire site (actually, I still haven’t given up on that thought yet). Why, one person asked. It is simply because this site has grown into what seems like a electronic personal diary.

You see, my blog has never has a noble purpose like Jeff Ooi’s, neither has it ever been anything public and wacky (in a fun, nice way) like Minishorts’. It had always been more of a diary, filled with ramblings – right or wrong, crazy or serious, mundane or important. Except that unlike most diaries, it has an audience.

I think this has changed. My readers, if there are still any left, are silent, which is an awful thing if your purpose is to engage people and illicite thoughts from them. When I bemoaned the quiet state of my blog to him, Nil said that my blog seemed more like a storage centre for my thoughts and that itself is something personal, hence people may not seem to know what to say.

“Besides, I don’t think you write to get comments or get more people to read. Your blog is just about you to dump all that excess stuff somewhere else. Otherwise, you’ll explode and I’ll get it.”

True.

Of lately, I’m beginning to tire from keeping two separate blogs. Yes, it may shock some to know that I have two blogs – this very public one and another more quiet, less open one with its comments page permenantly closed. It all started when my ex casually discovered this blog way before I even considered using WP technology. I tolerate his presence until he exploded about something I wrote. It was then that I discovered that this blog was TOO public.

Now I discovered that…

…I shouldn’t have given a damn and just password protect all entries that I didn’t want people to read about.

…I shouldn’t give a damn about what people think about the number of password protected entries I have.

…I shouldn’t give a damn about what people think of the number of times I rant and rave about things I HATE, especially a few people.

I just shouldn’t care…because at the end of the day, this blog is supposed to be something personal and close to my heart.

So really…if you come across a post whereby the comments page is closed or it’s password protected, it just means that it’s not meant for anyone else but me to read.

So I didn’t hear from them in Singapore. Never mind. I’ll just look again.

Thanks to a couple of friends, I am now slated for an interview with a mag publishing place next week. I’m hoping to get the position. At least I won’t have to drive 72km a day just to go to work and come home.

(I like my current place but the distance is just killing me ever so slowly.)

Today is ANZAC Day in Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga. It is one of the prominent public holidays in the Australiasia (one of the nine national public holidays in Australia – aren’t we lucky to have more than fifteen?) and a parallel can be drawn between our own Patriot’s Day and ANZAC Day, except perhaps for the magnitude and overall feel of the celebrations.

ANZAC is the acroynm for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp and honours the bravery and courage of those serving their country, irrespective of which branch of the miliary/security they are in. The event iconic symbol is the landing of ANZAC at Gallipoli in 1915 where 10,000 soldiers died. Australia had the highest casualty rate in that war and New Zealand sent 10% of its then one million population to serve the country overseas (figures obtained from Wikipedia.org).

In the past, because of the changes in the way people looked at war and the negatives of the Vietnam War particularly, ANZAC Day was seen more as a celebration of wars instead of what it really was. Today, however, that sentiment is slowing changing. It is seen as a day where people come together to remember the sacrifices others have made for the stability of the country – it is not common to see veterans meeting for a chat, people pay tributes and visiting their fallen loved ones and councils holding dawn memorial services together with, ironically, parades and celebrations.

For the rest of us who were either too young to remember or who cannot seem to connect with this event, it is just what it is – another public holiday, time to rest, enjoy and be merry before the work comes again.

Yup…that is what Ballarat is all about. It is basically a re-creation of the gold rush period that hit Australia, particularly Victoria.

Once prospering on gold mining, Ballarat today has an urban population of 90,200 people. First established in 1838, you can now catch a glimpse of living history in this largest inland city in Victoria right here in Sovereign HillHistorical Park. The Park recreates a gold mining settlement right to the T and there is no doubt about it – if you love history, this is the place to go.

There is a candy shop where you can catch candy making demonstrations every few half an hours or so (I think). Free samples are available too, making this stop very popular with children. There is a little farm just lying somewhere on the fringes of the Park, allowing you up close and personal attention with goats, sheeps and the cutest little lambs. If you’re not the type for cutesy, sweet stuff, then there is a gold refining process demonstration – which is a hit with adults – and a gun shooting display.

Definitely worth a trip if you like history, gold and costumes OR just itching for material for your gallery!

WARNING: Definitely not for history-haters and those get bored easily.

Somehow, I have taken to resizing the pictures and on top of that, adding in the text directly onto the images itself. It’s tidious but worth the effort. At least it’ll make it harder for those pesky stealers to rip off. ^_~

Anyway, I’ve decided to post the link even though I have about another 50% to go. Feel free to add your comments onto them…and enjoy!